The Apprentice
by Ninja-Consultant
Summary: Superboy and Match become mentors to a psychic prodigy. How will each meet the responsibilities of working with this young man? An eight part story. Completed.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: DC Comics owns all rights to the characters within. They are used without permission and not meant to infringe on copyrights or meant to generate income.

Also, if you have not read my other stories, it would be helpful to do so before reading this one. The chronology goes: Brothers in Arms, Where Do We Go From Here, Tragedies of the Past, Betrayal From Within, Future Sins, Reestablishing Bonds, Parents and Children, New Allies, Rivals or Friends, Public Enemy Number One, Double Date, Mind Games, Solar Complications, Mentors and Pupils, Brother Against Brother, Calm Before the Storm, Opening Moves, Isolation, The Great Father and Son Contest, Fugue State, Fallout, Holidays, Confidence and Envy, Betrayal, and Mandatory Downtime.

The Apprentice, chapter 1

Location: the JLA Watchtower, the meeting room

Match and Superboy digested the request Superman, Batman, and the Martian Manhunter had given them.

"I don't see this as a suitable use of our time," Match said. "I was hoping that my first mission after coming back to active status would be something else."

"We're not babysitters," Superboy protested.

"Jacob is hardly a baby," J'onn said. "He's thirteen. He'd also be your pupil, not just someone for you to watch."

"Finding a metahuman in the early stage of developing his powers is unusual, but not unheard of," Match pointed out. "What makes this situation different from any of those?"

"Jacob has psionic powers that place him among Earth's most powerful psychics," Batman said. "We believe that they are still developing. He needs to learn how to control them. Both of you have psychic powers and can teach him this control."

"J'onn is a psychic with more powers than us," Superboy pointed out. "It looks to me like he'd be better at it."

"We thought you'd be better because you're closer in age and your appearance isn't as intimidating," Superman said. "His telepathy is ineffective on those of alien origin, so you don't have to worry about him finding out your identities."

Superboy looked at the file for the kid. "Telekinesis, telepathy, pyrokinesis, and a whole lot of other stuff. Match and I are telekinetics; how do you expect us to manage the rest of this?"

"He's already got a fairly good grasp of his powers," Superman admitted. "He needs to learn self-control more than anything, and having big brother figures as role models is the best way according to the child development experts we've consulted."

"What about his family?" Match asked.

"They appear to have abandoned him," Batman said, frowning. "Oracle and I are working on finding them."

"I don't think this is the best course of action," Match said, flatly. "Sending him to counselors would be better. They're trained for this situation."

"We tried that," Batman admitted. "He read their minds and wouldn't have anything to do with them."

"It sounds like we're your last option," Kon said.

"Yes," admitted the Martian Manhunter.

Match sighed. "I have no choice but to accept."

"Me too," Kon said. "Don't worry, it'll be fine. How much trouble could one thirteen-year old be?"

Location: the JLA Watchtower, the training room

"This sucks," Jacob whined. "Why can't I have a cool mentor, like Batman?"

Match's expression remained neutral, and Superboy's smile became a bit strained. This was not the first thing that either of them wanted to hear from their new apprentice.

"Jacob, that isn't very nice," Superman said, embarrassed. "These are your mentors, and they can help you learn about your powers."

"Jacob, these are Superboy and Match," J'onn introduced. "Superboy, Match, this is Jacob Engar."

"Hi, Jake," Kon said, holding out his hand.

"Jacob," Match nodded in greeting.

As Jacob shook Kon's hand, he asked. "Isn't that guy your evil clone?"

Match remained expressionless, but Kon could tell he was getting annoyed; this kid had gotten under his skin pretty quickly.

"He hasn't been bad for a long time," Superboy said. "I think you're bringing out the drill instructor side of him, though."

"I wouldn't deviate from what we've planned out of personal feelings," Match said. "I'm not like that."

"I can't read your minds," Jacob said, tilting his head as if that would improve his mental reception. "I guess that means you're aliens."

"We are Kryptonian-human hybrids," Match corrected.

"Whatever," Jacob said. "What are you guys going to do?"

"I'd like to put you through some tests to determine how skilled you are," Match began.

"That's boring!" Jacob interrupted. "I've already done that."

"We know. We want to see if there are any fluctuations between them."

"Even though you're talking like you're in charge, you use 'we' a lot. That means Superboy's the dominant twin here. I want to hear what he has to say."

Kon blinked. This kid was arrogant and perceptive. He knew that his brother tended to follow his lead in situations other than missions, but this kid picked it up pretty quickly.

Jacob smiled. "I'm an empath too. I may not be able to get into your thoughts, but emotions are easy for me to pick up."

"Jake, why are you acting like this?" Kon asked. "You're acting like a six-year old."

Jacob frowned. "I am not! I've been cooped up here forever, and I'm bored. They send you and this guy here to make me do stuff without even asking me!"

"We've been assigned to mentor you," Match said. "By all accounts, you have good control over your powers, but your self-control is lacking."

Jacob's eyes flashed with anger and a variety of objects in the room flung themselves at Match. Without changing his expression, Match deflected all of them.

"That was childish," he told Jacob.

"Shut up! Do you think you're more powerful than I am?"

Match looked unconcerned. "I don't need to be more powerful if my skill is enough to deflect your attacks."

"Stop it," Kon ordered Jacob. "You really don't want to mess with my brother."

"I thought he was your clone," Jacob said.

"He's become more than that."

"I can teach you to better use your powers," Match offered. "You need to cooperate with me, though. "Will you take these tests?"

Jacob frowned. "Okay."

"Excellent," Match said. "I'll set them up."

Kon could see a faint smile on his brother's face as he went to the control booth. He hoped that the two would learn to get along.

Location: the JLA Watchtower, the monitor room

Match was updating Batman on Jacob's progress.

"He's potentially the strongest of us all," Match reported. "His power levels are high and his current control is impressive for one so young."

"What's your analysis of his personality?" Batman asked.

"He's not sure of how to deal with us, so I don't know how he'd interact with others. He's used to knowing everything that the person he's talking to does, but Kon-El's and my origins don't allow that. I'd characterize him as being arrogant and immature."

"Some might characterize you as being arrogant," Batman noted.

"It's possible that they're correct."

"How are you and Superboy getting along with him?"

"Superboy is gaining his trust. I believe that I'm earning his respect. He wants to know what I can do with my powers."

"Are you saying that he sees you as a rival?"

"It's possible."

"That could be dangerous."

"The situation is in hand. Despite being advanced for his age, Jacob is still a child. His responses can be predicted. Have you had any luck in tracking down his family?"

"Not yet, Oracle and I are still working on it."

"I'll contact you later. I have a reward dinner to make."

-----

Any comments are welcome!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: DC Comics owns all rights to the characters within. They are used without permission and not meant to infringe on copyrights or meant to generate income.

The Apprentice, chapter 2

Location: the JLA Watchtower

While Jacob wanted to learn everything he could from Match, it was clear that he preferred to not be near him. In contrast, he almost idolized Conner and was constantly asking his opinion on various things. Conner found this odd since he thought Jacob and his brother had a lot in common.

The two both took their responsibilities as Jacob's mentors seriously. They were sure to spend at least three hours a day with him, working on developing his powers and giving him someone to talk to (usually Kon).

Kon was of the opinion that Jacob was a scared and lonely kid who was acting out because he was afraid of being hurt. Match wasn't quite willing to accept this line of thought yet.

"Would you like to discuss your family?" Match asked Jacob, during one session.

Jacob went rigid at the mention of the topic. "No."

Kon gave Match a quick look. This was a sensitive topic, and he didn't want to see the two come into conflict.

"We're trying to track them down," Match reminded him. "They may have come to regret their actions; people do foolish things when confronted with circumstances they aren't prepared for."

A chair flew at Match. It stopped a foot away from him.

"That this topic causes such a strong response indicates you should discuss it," Match noted. "Is there anyone that you would prefer to discuss it with other than Superboy or myself?"

The table flipped up towards him but froze in mid-air.

"Shut up!" Jacob shouted. "You don't know anything!"

"Educate me, then," Match replied.

Another chair was flying at Match, but Superboy caught it.

"That's enough from both of you!" Kon shouted. "Match, we need to talk."

Match shook his head. "I don't-"

"Now!" Conner thundered.

The chair and table returned to their regular positions as Superboy marched Match out into the corridor.

"What do you think you're doing?" Conner demanded. "Jacob's just a kid!"

"He's incredibly powerful, but far too emotional," Match said. "There's something about his parents that he's hiding. I think it's important."

"You hide things and become quite emotional when Dan's involved," Conner pointed out. "Stop treating him so badly because there's an unanswered question from his past."

"I have the feeling it's important," Max repeated.

"You're treating him the way Batman treated you."

Max flinched. "That's unfair."

"Has it occurred to you that the reason you don't get along with him is because you're too much alike?"

"That has nothing to do with this."

"Would you have provoked a confrontation with him if you got along with him and he was hiding something?"

"Yes."

"I find that difficult to believe."

"The reason I'm doing this is because he's so powerful. If he wanted to find his parents, he could do so with little difficulty. You've seen the readings!"

"Do you think he doesn't want to find them because of the way they treated him? He could have been subjected to abuse."

"If that's the case, then I will teach them the errors of their ways."

Match said that in such a cold tone that Superboy shuddered. "I don't like it when you get like that. You can be pretty scary when you want."

"Let's go back to Jacob," Match said. "I'll try to be...more understanding."

-----

Any and all comments welcome!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: DC Comics owns all rights to the characters within. They are used without permission and not meant to infringe on copyrights or meant to generate income.

The Apprentice, chapter 3

Location: the JLA Watchtower

"How come we're the only ones on the Watchtower?" Jacob asked. "When I first came, I could hear a couple of minds, but now it's just quiet."

"That's a good question, Jake," Kon said. "Match, do you have any idea of what's happened?"

"I believe that the JLA is testing the rerouting of functions through Earth-based locations," Match told them. "They want to be fully active in the event that the Watchtower is unavailable. It's something I recommended some time ago, and they're finally implementing it."

"That's a good idea. I wonder if the Titans should think about doing something like that in case the Tower isn't available."

Match kept his expression the same, but he had omitted a reason why they were the only ones there: Batman did not want the possibility of Jacob reading the JLA's minds or anyone associated with them. Telling Kon and Jacob this would only cause trouble.

"That's good to hear," Jacob said. "I would hate to think that it was because I was here."

"You do eat a lot of food," Match said. "It is possible that they were worried about keeping the refrigerator stocked with you here."

Jacob looked at him. "Was that a joke? If it was...it kind of sucked."

"My brother hasn't quite gotten the art of joke-telling," Kon apologized. "I don't think he has a very good sense of humor either."

Match put on a hurt expression.

The monitor beeped, interrupting them. Match went over to it and read the text scrolling on the screen.

"What's going on?" Superboy asked.

"The JLA's been captured," Match said tersely. "Other teams are busy."

"What are we waiting for?" Jacob asked. "Let's go help them!"

"You're not going anywhere," Superboy told him. "You're not ready for missions; I'm not going to get you hurt or killed."

"I'll be fine," Jacob argued. "You guys will be there, and I've got great control of my powers."

"We may be the only ones who can help," Match said. "When we go, you will follow our instructions immediately. If you don't, I'll have the teleporter send you back."

"Match, you can't be serious!" Kon protested.

"There are limited options. It appears that someone has captured several Superman robots and reprogrammed them."

Kon's eyes narrowed. "Luthor."

"Most likely. They are probably programmed to capture you."

"So, these robots are as powerful as Superman?" Jacob asked. "How many of them are there?"

"There are five," Match answered. "They're almost as powerful as him."

Match paused. "It's going to be very dangerous. If either of you wish to stay behind, I understand."

"No!" Jacob said. "Let's do it!"

"I'm not going to let you two do it by yourselves," Kon said. "Just be careful."

Location: New York City

The five reprogrammed robots were rampaging through the streets. The JLA had been defeated, and two of the robots were carrying Superman. One of them suddenly veered into a building, and the other was hit by a blast of heat vision. Superman started to fall to the ground, but he floated to Match, Superboy, and a masked Jacob.

"Very nice," Match complimented the two. "That may not have stopped them, but we were able to recover Superman. He's stable."

The two robots recovered, and all five stood before them. "Targets located. Designation 002 identified, capture initiated. Designation 003 identified, elimination initiated. Unidentified target, disable."

"We should split up to divide their forces," Match ordered.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Kon asked.

"It's better than having them gang up on us!" Jacob said as he blasted one with telekinetic force. "Who's going to carry Superman?"

"I've got him," Match said. "If there's any trouble, inform us via your telepathy."

The three separated. Two robots went after Superboy, two followed Match, and the final one went after Jacob.

Location: New York City, following Superboy

"What sort of plan is it to split up?" Kon grumbled as he threaded through the streets. "I mean, that's on the order of 'you go with Scooby, and I'll hand out with the girls' for a level of unfairness. These robots are tough!"

Said robots were speeding after him. They had no reaction to his pop culture reference.

Superboy spun around. "You want a piece of me? Come on, then!"

He let loose with a blast of heat vision that hit one of the robots right in its variation of the S-shield. Kon knew he had gotten stronger, and he knew the JLA had already fought these robots, but he wasn't expecting to blow out the chest of the one he hit. It exploded in a dazzling fireball.

"Not too shabby!" he said.

The second robot slammed into him, tackling him to the ground. Kon got the air knocked out of him. Fortunately, all those martial arts lessons proved valuable, as he retaliated with a backhand blow that put some distance between him and the robot.

"Superboy, come with me," the robot said. "Your father wants to see you."

The request did have one notable effect: it made Kon very angry.

He charged the robot, raining down punches on it. "That man is NOT MY FATHER!"

He calmed down after his outburst and looked around. The robot was in pieces.

"I guess I shouldn't lose my temper," Superboy said to himself.

Location: New York City, following Jacob

Jacob pushed the Superman robot back with his powers. He was getting a little tired; he wasn't used to using his powers at this level for so long.

"Come on," he whined. "The real Superman wouldn't go after a kid like this!"

The robot did not respond.

Jacob had an idea. Rather than directly hitting the robot, maybe he could use the environment to his advantage! He used his powers to topple a condemned building onto the robot.

"All right!" he cheered.

Unfortunately for him, the robot came out of the rubble a moment later.

"That's no fair!" he exclaimed.

Superboy was about to swoop down to aid Jacob when someone reached out and restrained him. He turned and saw it was Match.

"I want to see if he can stop it on his own," he explained. "There's still time for a last minute rescue after his next attempt."

"It's too dangerous," Kon argued.

"He has the power to stop it; he just needs to realize how he should apply his powers."

Jacob was oblivious to this discussion, but he decided that he was going to hit the robot with all of his power. He focused and then blasted it. The robot exploded.

"Yes!" Jacob celebrated.

"Very good," Match said as he descended.

"Are you okay?" Kon asked.

"You saw?" Jacob asked. "Why didn't you do anything?"

"I thought you could handle it yourself," Match replied. "I was confident of your abilities."

"Really?"

"You're powerful and intelligent. There's no reason you would have needed help."

"How did you deal with the two on you?" Kon asked. "Did you get them in a crossfire or something? I didn't hear any explosions from where you went."

Match shrugged. "They're robots. I caused their inner workings to come to a halt by clogging them with dust, dirt, and all sorts of small particles."

"That's...so you."

-----

Any and all comments welcome!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: DC Comics owns all rights to the characters within. They are used without permission and not meant to infringe on copyrights or meant to generate income.

The Apprentice, chapter 4

Location: the JLA Watchtower

"Um, Batman seemed kind of angry," Jacob said.

Kon gave him a comforting smile. "That's just the way he is. He wasn't angry at you."

"I could feel the anger radiating off of him!"

"He's meeting with Match. He'll be calm by the end of it."

"Does your brother get along with him?"

"At one point, they did. They understand each other...I think."

Location: the Bat Cave

Match noted that the cave remained unchanged since the months he had been there. Everything was in its appropriate spot; Alfred's meticulousness about the kitchen seemed to have rubbed off on Bruce for the Bat Cave.

Batman, however, was not particularly pleased with him.

"You were under orders to keep him away from the JLA until I said otherwise," Batman stated.

"The situation called for something else," Match responded.

"You and Superboy probably had enough power to deal with the robots. The JLA would have been fine if we weren't taken by surprise."

"I wasn't willing to risk that. Besides, it offered the opportunity to see how Jacob would react in a stressful situation. Training and modeling behavior only goes so far."

"You put him in danger. That's unacceptable."

"I was monitoring him at all times. I would have intervened if it looked like he was about to be harmed. I also would have stepped in if he became a danger to the area."

"Your dislike for him has influenced your thinking."

"One might say that we're too alike to ever be comfortable with each other."

"I agree. You and Jacob have too much friction."

Match gave him a pointed look. "I was talking about the two of us."

Batman glared at him. "You're talking nonsense."

"We are both very dangerous, used to being the smartest one in the room, and have experienced the less desirable aspects of human society. This is valid for Jacob as well."

"Do you really think he's a potential threat?"

"He's already more powerful than me. His power levels will rival Superman's soon."

"Are you sure?"

Match brought up three charts on the Bat Computer. "This represents Jacob's psionic capacity when he first came to the Watchtower. The second one is his capacity when I had him retake those tests a few days later; it's a forty percent increase."

"When was the final chart taken?"

"That was yesterday. He's grown by fifty percent since the second."

"What's he capable of?"

"That's not the right question. The correct one is 'what _isn't_ he capable of?'"

"So, if he weren't able to pick up minds on Earth from the Watchtower now, he'd be able to very soon. Rather than have him search for the JLA's minds out of curiosity, you exposed them to him to forestall any potential troublesome scans."

"The opportunity to defuse the situation was there."

"I wish you would have told me sooner."

"You needed to get that accusation out of your system."

"In the interest of fairness, are there any you'd like to make?"

"Yes, there is. You never had any intention to make me your successor. It was simply a ploy to motivate Tim."

"Do you really believe that?"

"It may not have been a conscious decision."

"Is this a recent thought you've had, or one you've harbored for some time?"

"It occurred to me soon after you made your offer."

"Yet, you still accepted."

"I wanted to learn from you. In addition, I thought it was a reasonable aim."

"So, you wouldn't be angry if that were the case?"

"Is that a confirmation?"

"It is merely a hypothetical. You've heard me say that if he and Dick don't want to take my mantle, then I won't force it on them."

"The answer to your earlier question is that I would not be angry. The opportunity to learn from you was enough for me."

"And the data you collected while observing me, I presume."

Match nodded. "It seemed to be a fair trade for what you observed of me."

"If this is how we act when we're allies, let us be glad that we're not enemies."

"Agreed."

-----

Any and all comments welcome!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: DC Comics owns all rights to the characters within. They are used without permission and not meant to infringe on copyrights or meant to generate income.

The Apprentice, chapter 5

Location: the Kent's barn

Max and Dan were in the barn after a practice session. Conner had left to get cleaned up.

"He gets so nervous about leaving us in the barn," Dan commented. "It's kind of funny."

Max blushed. "I think he's just trying to be considerate in a clumsy sort of way."

"Probably. You know, you're going to see a lot more of me at school."

"What do you mean?"

"They say I'm doing really well in my classes, so they want to put me in the honors classes. It's kind of scary."

"I think it's great that you're doing so well!"

"I'm only doing well because you and Conner are tutoring me!"

"It's because you're applying yourself. Besides, it'll look good when you apply to college."

"I'm not sure that I'm going to college; it's expensive."

"I could pay for you; I've got some money."

Dan made a face. "That'd just be because we're going out."

Max didn't think that was a valid counterargument but didn't mention that. "If you don't want to accept money from me, I can point you in the direction of scholarships."

"I'll think about it."

All of the sudden, Dan grabbed Max's throat and started strangling him. His grip was unnaturally strong.

"What's going on?" Dan cried out. "I can't control my body!"

Max tried to pry Dan's hands from his throat but found himself unable to do so.

"Knock me out!" Dan told him frantically. "Maybe that will stop it!"

"I...won't...hurt...you," Max managed.

Max felt himself start to fall unconscious, but suddenly the pressure on his throat was gone and he could breathe normally. He looked up to see that Conner had pulled Dan off of him and pinned him to the ground.

"What's going on here?" Conner demanded. "Why were you choking Max?"

"It's not his fault," Max gasped out. "He was taken over by some force!"

"Are you back to normal?" Conner asked. "I'm not letting you up until you are!"

Dan was crying. "I'm sorry! I didn't want to, but my arms acted on their own! I couldn't control them!"

Max pushed Conner off of him, hugged Dan, and said soothingly, "It's okay. It's not your fault. I know you wouldn't choose to do something like that."

"I'm going to call Titan's Tower and get the Martian Manhunter out here," Conner told them. "He'll be able to do a scan to make sure Dan's back to normal."

"That's a good idea."

Location: the Batcave

Match and Superboy stood impatiently while the Martian Manhunter reported the results of his scan to Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.

"There were traces of his being mind controlled," J'onn said. "Whatever influence there was, it is no longer there. Before you ask, I cannot tell who did it; the traces were not distinctive."

"Was it psionic in nature or magical?" Batman asked.

"The residue left was that of psionic powers. I wouldn't be able to detect it if he were under the control of a magical possession."

"Do we have any suspects?" Superman asked.

"I've put together a list of every villain who could do this," Match said, bringing the file up on the screen. "I've also listed the likelihood of each one."

"You've already discounted a number for being in custody," Wonder Woman noted. "Why are none of these choices above five percent?"

"He exhibited enhanced strength while attacking me. None of these villains have demonstrated the ability to grant that."

"You chose to meet here instead of the Watchtower because it's better shielded," Superman noted. "We're likely up against a new threat."

"It could be Desaad," Batman noted. "His Apokaliptian technology has simulated telepathy before. He's a curious omission from your list."

"I'd recognize the feel of it if it were that," J'onn disagreed. "I have a very good idea of how that works."

"He mentioned it to J'onn when he did the scan," Superboy told them.

"I would like to downgrade my status to inactive," Match said. "I need to find who's doing this."

"Granted," Batman said. "I'll make sure you have resources available to you for your investigation."

"Shall I continue mentoring Jacob?" Superboy asked. "Or is there a worry that I could be targeted as well?"

"You should continue with him," Wonder Woman said. "He's at a crucial stage and the loss of both his mentors could be disastrous."

"He does bring up a good point," Superman said. "There's no telling whether Match is the only target or whether this was the first strike against our community."

"I'll make sure everyone knows and is on alert," she told them.

"How's Dan doing?" Clark asked.

"He's very upset," Conner said.

"He blames himself," Max said quietly.

"I'll talk to him," Clark offered. "It's not his fault."

"I know."

Location: the JLA Watchtower

Jacob looked surprised to see Superboy alone. "Where's Match?"

"He's...indisposed," Superboy said. "I'm going to be doing this by myself for a while."

"What, did he get sick?"

"Something came up, and he needs to deal with it. He'll be back soon."

Jacob shrugged. "Okay. I've gotten most of the stuff he's taught me down pat, so I'll be fine until he returns."

-----

Any and all comments welcome!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: DC Comics owns all rights to the characters within. They are used without permission and not meant to infringe on copyrights or meant to generate income.

The Apprentice, chapter 6

Location: the Kent's farm

"You shouldn't beat yourself up over it," Conner said. "It's not your fault."

Dan was downcast. "I had my hands around his neck. It's not like I can pretend it was someone else."

"But, it was someone else. You wouldn't have done it if you had any choice in the matter."

"I hurt him."

"You're hurting him now."

"What do you mean?"

"Since you're blaming yourself and staying away from him, he's hurting from that. He's also blaming himself for being the target; you wouldn't have been taken over if it weren't for him."

"He can't really think like that, can he?"

"Max can go from zero to guilt in half a second."

Location: the JLA Watchtower

"So, I guess Match really isn't coming back," Jacob said.

Kon frowned at him. "It's just temporary. He'll be back in no time. Do you really miss his drills that much, Jake?"

"They were tedious, but they had stuff I hadn't thought of," Jacob admitted. "Too bad he was always so tense."

"I don't think he's all that bad," Superboy defended his brother. "A little too formal, sure. He means well, though."

"Whatever."

Kon started to wonder at his charge's attitude.

When Jacob was cleaning up, Kon contacted Oracle. "I've got a question for you."

"Hopefully, I have an answer for you," Oracle replied. "However, if it's involving Match's incident, I haven't been able to find out anything more than he has."

"No, I was calling to check in on how the search for Jacob's parents is going. Any luck on finding them? I mean, they aren't ninja superspies or anything, are they?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Oracle snapped.

Kon was taken aback. "I'm just curious. I know that you and Batman are working on it, and there isn't anything that really escapes either of you."

"It's a waste of time to try and find them," she continued with some heat. "They don't want to be found and Jacob's better off without them."

Kon realized that there was no reason to press the issue. "Forget I mentioned it. Don't worry, everything's okay up here."

Location: Conner and Max's room

Max was typing on his laptop. Conner entered.

"Any luck in finding the guy?" Conner asked.

"Unfortunately, no," Max admitted. "I've isolated some sort of signature, but it's really not attached to a particular person, just this use of powers."

"So, if you had scans of the entire world at the time, you'd be able to track this guy down."

"Exactly. Sadly, some think that would be an invasion of privacy and no such network of scanners exists."

"Want to help me out with a little side project?"

Max turned to face Conner, curious. "What's up?"

"I asked Oracle how the hunt for Jacob's parents was going, and she bit my head off. I was wondering if you could take a look for me."

"I have no information on that. Do you really think I can just go and hack into Oracle's system to get it?"

Conner gave him a look. Max smirked.

"Okay, but you can't tell anyone about this. They'll freak out, and I'll just have to make another backdoor into her system that she doesn't know about."

"No prob," Conner promised. "I'll even call you the world's greatest detective if you find them."

Max typed rapidly and quickly copied the files from Oracle's system. He then removed all traces of his presence.

"Let's see what she's found out," Conner said, leaning over his brother's shoulder.

The two looked at the screen and stiffened.

"This can't be," Conner breathed.

"It is," Max said. "These are autopsy reports of two people matching the description of Jacob's parents. In both cases, the cause of death is a crushed windpipe with no external signs of how it was done."

Conner stared at Max. "As if...they were crushed by a telekinetic."

"Exactly. Let me run a comparison pattern from the Watchtower at the time of my assault..."

Max pressed a few keys and a pattern appeared. Another came up on the screen, and the two fit together perfectly.

"I can't believe it," Conner said. "I don't want to believe it."

"We need to talk to Superman and the Martian Manhunter immediately," Max said, snapping into mission mode.

-----

Any and all comments welcome!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: DC Comics owns all rights to the characters within. They are used without permission and not meant to infringe on copyrights or meant to generate income.

The Apprentice, chapter 7

Location: the Fortress of Solitude

Clark and J'onn studied the data. Their expressions were grim.

"I don't want to believe it," Superman admitted. "How could someone so young do these things?"

"Why have you only gathered the four of us?" J'onn asked. "Why not Batman or Wonder Woman?"

"They've been compromised," Match said. "Our alien or part-alien origins render us immune to some of Jacob's powers. He's been in contact with them, and he's apparently been affecting Batman and Oracle since the beginning."

"What's your plan?" Kon asked. "You wouldn't have gathered us if you didn't have one."

"It's possible that these actions were accidents," Match told them. "If the four of us confront him and he's contrite, I think we'll be okay. If he lashes out, then it will be very dangerous for us and those nearby."

"Do you really think it was an accident?" Superman asked.

"It's probably not," Kon answered, sadly. "He's very composed, and I have a hard time believing that he'd lose control enough to kill both his parents and later attempt to kill Match."

A crystal glowed. Superman frowned and touched it. An image of Jacob appeared.

"I want you to surrender to me," he told them.

"Don't be rash," Superman urged him. "We can talk about this."

"You're plotting to stop me! That's why you're in that place I can't get to!"

Match touched a crystal to close the communication channel. "Unfortunately, this answers our question in the worst way possible. We must work under the assumption that he's in control of all the other heroes he's capable of finding. J'onn, can you contact Miss Martian and Supergirl?"

"Yes. Shall I have them come here?"

"No, this location has been compromised. Even though they might not be able to get in, they could make it difficult for us to get out. I'll give you coordinates to send them; we'll meet them there."

"Where are you taking us?" Superman asked.

"It's my safe house," Match replied. "No one knows about it except me, so we'll be able to plan there."

Location: Match's safe house

"So, this is where you hid out that one summer," Kon said. "It looks nice."

"It was in dire straits when I first came here," Match replied. "There should be some supplied; I made sure it was properly stocked before I left."

Kon picked up a can. "Spam? We have got to talk about what's appropriate and what isn't."

"Kal-El, what's the plan?" Supergirl asked. "How do we stop this kid?"

"Kara, Match is a lot better at tactical planning than I am," Superman admitted. "I'm pretty sure he already has something in mind."

"Kru-El, is this true?" she asked.

"Are you really called Kru-El?" Miss Martian asked. "That's horrible!"

"I didn't pick the name," Match said. "I do have a plan."

He brought up scenes on a monitor. "He's fortified his position in Young Justice's old Happy Harbor base. It was a former JLA base as well, so it's still integrated into the system."

"We've got an advantage because I know that place inside and out," Kon said brightly.

"I'm familiar with the layout too," Match added. "However, that advantage will be neutralized because Jacob has access to the finest metahuman tactics mind on the planet."

Batman's face appeared on another screen.

"If you're our tactics guy, should you be saying that he's better than you?" Supergirl asked. "I mean, are you giving up before we've begun?"

"It would be delusional to deny it," Match said coolly. "However, I know how his mind works, and those of us gathered have a great deal of raw power. We should be able to render some of the subtleties of his strategies irrelevant."

"What are you suggesting?" J'onn asked.

"I'd say that while the five of you stage a frontal assault, I'll sneak in and confront Jacob. There's still the chance he's acting on fear and can be reasoned with."

"If that's not the case, will you be all right?" Superman asked. "He's very powerful."

"I know what he's capable of," Match assured him.

"So, what do you want us to do?" Miss Martian asked.

The Marvel family appeared on a screen. "These are the most powerful opposition. As such, I'd like both the Martian Manhunter and Miss Martian to engage them."

"Are you sure I shouldn't-" Superman began.

"You're vulnerable to magic," Match interrupted him. "You'd be at a serious disadvantage. Besides, I need you and Supergirl to go after the Flash and Kid Flash."

"We're the only ones who can match their speed," Superman agreed. "I understand."

"I guess that leaves everyone else for me," Kon said dubiously.

"We'll have additional allies in the form of Starfire and a few of the Green Lantern Corps," Match assured him. "Hit and run tactics will be the best to employ."

"How are you going to deal with Jacob?" Kon asked, narrowing his eyes. "You avoided the question; if he won't listen to reason, then what?"

"I'll stop him. He may be powerful, but I have experience and skill on my side."

"What if he blocks you? You can't take him in a match of raw power!"

"I'm counting on all of you to deal with your assignments first. You can back me up when you're done."

Location: Happy Harbor

Jacob tapped his fingers on the meeting table nervously. It wasn't difficult for him to keep control of all the heroes, but it wasn't easy either. He also knew that he had to watch out for the aliens; they were resistant to his mind-influencing powers. Fortunately, he had put Batman's mind to work in developing a strategy to deal with them.

He wished he could have taken over the more defensible Batcave, but it had shielding devices that made it hard to use his powers. Plus, Batman had a strong will, and Jacob wasn't about to risk losing control of him in his home base.

An alarm rung out, and the aliens appeared on screen. Jacob followed Batman's strategy and sent the mind-controlled heroes after them. He frowned as the Martian Manhunter and Miss Martian intercepted the Marvels; they were his way to take out Superman and Supergirl quickly. It became apparent that they had their own strategy to cope with his forces.

He turned to Batman. "You're going to tell me how to win this."

"Have them pull back," Batman said. "They'll need to lure them into making a mistake."

"That's enough out of you," a familiar voice said, as Batman crumpled to the floor.

"Match!" Jacob shouted as the white-haired teen stepped out from the shadows. "What did you do to him?"

"I manipulated a nerve cluster. You should stop this."

"You know why I'm doing this! I can't stop!"

"If you accidentally lashed out, we can explain that," Match said soothingly. "We don't have to go on like this. They'll understand; I can make them understand."

Jacob laughed. "You don't get it, do you? I'm glad I did it. They deserved it!"

"You can't mean that!"

"You've seen the same side of humanity that I have! They're a horrible, wretched race that deserves nothing more than what I'm giving it!"

Match gave him a merciless stare. "I'm going to stop you."

"You'll try," Jacob sneered, bringing out a box. "Do you know what's in here? It's something to rid me of you, once and for all!"

Jacob opened the lead-lined box to reveal a glowing red rock. A millisecond before it started to affect him, Match recognized it.

It was Batman's kryptonite isotope.

-----

Any and all comments welcome!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: DC Comics owns all rights to the characters within. They are used without permission and not meant to infringe on copyrights or meant to generate income.

The Apprentice, chapter 8

Location: Happy Harbor

J'onn felt the mental scream before he heard a noise no one had ever heard before. Kon recognized the voice, but did not immediately realize what was happening.

Match was screaming.

J'onn saw what Jacob had used on him and charged, insubstantial, to his aid. He solidified enough to grab the red kryptonite and sped off to dispose of it.

All thoughts of the plan left Kon's mind when he heard his brother in pain. He barreled through to see him burning. He went over to smother the flames and realized that Superman was there, helping him. Miss Martian and Supergirl had charged in after them and were confronting Jacob.

J'onn returned to find his allies pinned by the force of Jacob's powers, with the exception of Match, who was lying on the floor.

Jacob turned to the Martian Manhunter. "Give up! I've beaten everything you've thrown at me! You're no match for my powers!"

"Why are you doing this, Jacob?" J'onn asked.

"The world's a disgusting place, and I'm going to make it better! I'll make a utopia, but first I have to get rid of the less desirable parts!"

"If your parents were scared of you, that's no reason to-"

"Shut up! They weren't scared of me, but they would have held me back! That's why they had to go."

J'onn found himself surrounded by a circle of fire. He shrank before it.

"I've won!" Jacob exclaimed. "No one can stop me!"

Jacob's eyes then bulged in terror. He was in someone's telekinetic field and at their mercy. His eyes darted to Match. Then, his eyes went to Superboy, who was staring at him with an intense gaze.

"How?" he choked out.

"You always did get ahead of yourself, Jake," Kon spat out. "Holding us against the wall, starting fires around J'onn, keeping the rest of the heroes under your control. That spread your focus too much. I only have one psychic power; I don't let that happen to me."

"Let me go, or I'll-"

"Not likely."

"What are you going to do, hold me here forever?" Jacob laughed. "In time, I will break your hold on me, and then this will be over."

"Not quite," Match said, standing up.

He was quite clearly in a lot of pain, but he advanced on Jacob. "Kon has stopped you, and I will end this."

"What are you going to do?" Jacob demanded. "I already know everything you've taught me!"

"I was your teacher, but I didn't teach you everything I know," Match hissed as he put his hands on Jacob's temples. "You could have been the most powerful of us all, but you chose the wrong path. As the teacher, I have to make up for the deficiencies of the pupil."

Jacob screamed, and the rest of the heroes were no longer pinned to the wall. The flames around J'onn died down.

"What, what did you do to me?" Jacob screamed.

"I lobotomized your psychic powers," Match told him. "I've taken away what made you special."

Jacob held his head in his hands and wailed. "You've destroyed me!"

"J'onn remove his personal knowledge of us," Match ordered.

"I'm not sure-" Supergirl began.

"Do it!" Match shouted.

J'onn stared at Jacob. "It's done."

Superman frowned. "I know something had to be done, but I don't like having people's minds be altered."

Match replied, "The alternative was to have him killed. He may have regarded that as preferable."

Kon said nothing. He had come to that conclusion and was on the verge of doing it before Match stepped in.

"We're going to get you some medical attention now," Kon told Match.

Location: the JLA Watchtower, the monitor room

After being treated, Max insisted on getting out of the medical bay, claiming that he'd spent enough time there. Conner joined him. Neither was surprised to see Batman waiting for them.

"I was unaware you could destroy someone's psychic powers," he said.

"It was a theoretical technique that I didn't think I'd have to put into practice," Max replied.

"We're going to have to talk about what other techniques you've come up with," Conner told him.

"Were there no other options for Jacob?" Batman asked. "I reviewed the tapes, but I'd like both of your views."

"He was out of control and too powerful," Conner said. "It was this or death."

Max nodded. "I agree with Conner."

"Personal issues didn't enter into this? He betrayed you both and controlled your friend."

"That's not fair," Conner said, growing angry.

"He controlled all of you," Max pointed out. "Had either of us been acting from emotion, he would most likely be dead."

Batman nodded. "I agree. Others may question it, but I'll talk to them."

"Thank you for your assistance," Max said. "You fed Jacob what he was looking for and nothing more. He was looking at the tactics rather than the overall strategy."

"You think I was resisting him?"

Max gave him a small smile. "I know it."

"I think it's preferable that we not come into conflict. It could be...messy."

"Are you two going to hug now?" Conner asked with a grin. "If so, I want to get a camera for it."

Batman glared at him, but Max laughed.

-----

This went on a little longer than I had originally planned. Ah well.

Any and all comments welcome!


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